38 St Giles

A warm welcome and an excellent night's sleep at this serene, stylish townhouse in central Norwich

Jan and William Cheeseman's reputation for hospitality goes before them at this delightful boutique B&B in the heart of Norwich. Formerly owners of a string of delis and cafes, they sold everything to buy 38 St Giles, then a rundown Georgian townhouse, and William spent a year painstakingly restoring it to its former glory. From the elegant balustrade down to the gleaming wooden floors and up to the elaborate ceiling cornices, it's exquisite throughout. And it's now run as a guesthouse by Jan, whose effusive warmth spills over from the moment she hops into your car to direct you to their hidden carpark.

'I feel like the custodian of this beautiful house,' she confided as we peeked in each of the 5 bedrooms (all different, all delightful), and admired heavy chandeliers, stain-glass windows and local art. But after delivering a tray of homemade cake and coffee to our room as a welcome, this custodian then gave us a front-door key and it felt more like home than hotel. One of our favourite-ever finds.

Highs

• Fabulous location on chi-chi St Giles street, which is lined with boutiques
• The furniture and fittings, a mix of vintage, oriental and gloriously modern; we've never had such house envy
• Breakfast - an utterly delicious 3-course feast
• L'Occitane toiletries, B&O TVs, handmade Vi-Spring mattresses
• Norwich itself; unexpectedly pretty with 32 medieval churches and winding cobblestone streets

Lows

• Some rooms are street-facing although the noise is minimal
• Only 1 room has a bath; most ensuites are shower only
• Nowhere to really lounge and read the weekend papers, unless you book the Suite
• No twin beds; this is aimed at couples